Data of Article : Hydration mechanisms in Roman seawater concrete: Archaeological analogue for validation of long-term ageing reactive transport model asnr-roc-art1

Data (Raw data with post-processing script) related to the publication of article : Hydration mechanisms in Roman seawater concrete.

Raw Data Formats:
.bcf: SEM-EDS Hyperspectral Bruker format
.xrdml: XRD Malvern Panalytical format
.htc: Reactive transport Hytec format

Software Used for Post-Processing:
.ipynb: Jupyter Notebook (Python)
.xlsx: Microsoft Excel
.HPF2: Malvern Panalytical HighScore Plus

Abstract :
Cement-based materials are considered for sealing plugs in deep geological disposal of radioactive waste. Ensuring their long-term durability is critical for safety over millennia. The Roman Concrete (RoC) project uses ancient Roman underwater concretes as analogues to validate reactive transport models for long-term ageing. This study focuses on hydration mechanisms in Roman concrete made with Phlegrean pozzolan, slaked lime, and seawater. Various techniques (XRD, SEM-EDS, NMR, nanoindentation, microtomography, ICP-OES, ion chromatography) were used to characterize hydration products. Casting underwater led to aragonite and brucite layers with a 60 GPa Young’s modulus, protecting the concrete from further degradation. In the core, pozzolanic reactions produce C-(A)-S-H phases (Ca/Si = 1.2; Al/Si = 0.2) with a modulus of 12 GPa. HYTEC modeling confirmed the mechanism: incongruent pozzolan dissolution releases ions (K⁺, SiO₄⁴⁻, Al³⁺, Na⁺), promoting C-(A)-S-H formation and portlandite consumption.